Rouhani says plans in place for any Trump decision on nuclear deal
Iranian president warns US will regret decision if President Trump chooses to exit agreement, says it is ready 'to confront America's plots against our country'; 'Atomic energy organization, economic sector' have received orders to resist, he adds, concluding that, 'America is making a mistake if it leaves nuclear accord.'
Trump says that unless European allies rectify "flaws" in Tehran's deal with world powers by May 12, he will refuse to extend US sanctions relief for Iran.
"We have plans to resist any decision by Trump on the nuclear accord," Rouhani said in a speech carried live by state television.
"Orders have been issued to our atomic energy organization ... and to the economic sector to confront America's plots against our country," Rouhani told a rally in northeast Iran.
"America is making a mistake if it leaves the nuclear accord," Rouhani said.
Britain, France and Germany remain committed to the nuclear accord but, in an effort to keep Washington in it, want to open talks on Iran's ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025—when key provisions of the deal expire—and its wars in Syria and Yemen.
"We will not negotiate with anyone about our weapons and defenses, and we will make and store as many weapons, facilities and missiles as we need," Rouhani said, reiterating a rejection by Iranian leaders of talks on Iran's missile program which Tehran says is defensive.
"You (US) should know that you cannot threaten this great nation because our people withstood eight years of ... defense (in the war with Iraq)," Rouhani said in another speech during his visit to Razavi Khorasan province.
"We want to preserve our peaceful nuclear technology for electricity, medicine, agriculture and health ... and we do not seek to threaten the world or the region," Rouhani said.
Rouhani's comments come just days after Iran's foreign minister said it will not renegotiate the nuclear deal it signed with major powers.
"Let me make it absolutely clear once and for all. We will neither outsource our security, nor we will renegotiate or add on to a deal we have already implemented in good faith," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a message posted on YouTube.
In a magazine interview, French President Emmanuel Macron warned a decision by Trump to withdraw could lead to war.
"We would open the Pandora's box. There could be war," Macron told German weekly magazine Der Spiegel, adding "I don't think that Donald Trump wants war." Macron urged Trump not to withdraw when he met him in Washington late last month.
Trump has not told Israel whether he will change or scrap the deal, a senior Israeli intelligence official said on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the deal, which he says only halts Iran's nuclear capability temporarily.
The official said Trump shared Israel's skepticism about the deal and voiced hope for new US sanctions, noting the effect of past measures against Iran's banking and oil sector.
Trump said last week that Israel has “been proven right” after Netanyahu’s presentation of what he said was “conclusive proof” of a secret nuclear weapons project underway in Iran—evidence that the prime minister said showed that Tehran had lied “big time” to the international community.
“You know in seven years that deal will have expired and Iran is free to go ahead and create nuclear weapons. That’s not acceptable. Seven years is tomorrow. That’s not acceptable,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House.
